Chapter 6
1-5 Baptized into Jesus Christ
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? 3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
The Doctrine of Sin: It is true that our salvation is not based at all on our sin level or on how close we followed the Law; but, shall we continue in sin, in breaking the Law?! God forbid! We are ‘dead to sin’, which means that we are able to now ‘separate’ from our sin nature and have the liberty to live a godly life; we are suppose to ‘kill’ sin in our lives… and not sin anymore… sin has died in us… it no longer controls us… but, it nonetheless still hangs around, dead or not.
If we are to be dead to sin, how, or why, shall we live in sin anymore?! Well, it’s because of our sin nature that is still with us; Christians do indeed still sin! Our spirit is dead to sin, but our soul is still open to it. The spiritual side of us will always be against sin…dead to it. But, the sin nature side (involving our soul) is still bent on sinning.
The Doctrine of Baptism: Many believe this to be talking about something other than ‘water baptism’ (i.e., most believe it to be Spirit baptism). Yet, the symbolism, especially verse 4, is directly pointing to water baptism. Your baptism was to display your death to sin, the sinful life (3). Did it show that?! When you are baptized you don’t suddenly then ‘die to sin’; the baptism is symbolic of what had happened when you got saved, and, of course, should still be going on in your life.
Is being ‘baptized into Jesus Christ’ referring to water baptism, or an immersion into Him and all that He has done for us? I believe that it is referring to water baptism and connotes an entrance into Him, i.e. into His body, a church; but not an entrance into Heaven. Baptism is suppose to involve ‘death’; i.e. death to sin.
Water baptism symbolizes Christ’s physical death for us and our own dying to self… to sin. It also symbolizes Christ’s physical body being raised victoriously from the dead and our victoriously living a new life of holiness for Jesus Christ (4). If someone who is saved is baptized, but has no intention of repenting and living for Jesus, then I would say that that baptism didn’t symbolize things correctly, and is null and void. Baptism is similar to being ‘planted’; planted in the earth; covered by dirt; planted in His body (5); spiritual seed present that starts sprouting; fruit eventually is produced from this dying. Baptism also pictures His glorious resurrection, and ours!
6-10 Dead to Sin
6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
The Doctrine of Sin: Who is your ‘old man’? The sin nature. Is it truly dead, destroyed, gone? If so, then we don’t sin anymore. But, is it still with us? Jesus Christ was crucified for this ‘old man’ (6). The crucifixion of Christ allowed for sin to ‘one day’ be destroyed (might be). For if it were destroyed right now, it would have no power anymore, and not even exist. It says that we ‘should not serve sin’, not that we ‘will not serve sin’. Because of all He has done for us, and the power within us, we ‘should’ not serve sin. However, we would serve sin automatically and perpetually if He had not done this for us. We have been freed from this everlasting service of sin; we are freed, at liberty, to serve God now (7). ‘Dead with Christ’ refers to: a) us resisting sin on a day by day basis; b) the power and wages of sin having been destroyed in our life; c) what baptism symbolizes. We are to be dead to sin; that is, to have it be killed daily; to be ‘separated’ from it. If you would be willing to die to self, you will get to live forever with Jesus! (8)
“The figure is here carried out, and this old man, this corrupt nature, is represented as having been put to death in an agonizing and torturing manner. The pains of crucifixion were perhaps the most torturing of any that the human frame could bear. Death in this manner was most lingering and distressing. And the apostle here by the expression “is crucified” doubtless refers to the painful and protracted struggle which everyone goes through when his evil propensities are subdued; when his corrupt nature is slain; and when, a converted sinner, he gives himself up to God.” (Barnes’ Notes)
Once you physically die, you will not die again and are delivered from this body of death, forever. You will have an incorruptable body upon your resurrection, which will be incapable of dying. Jesus Christ only had to die once, and only could die once. The Catholics are woefully in error on this! (9,10)
11-15 Don’t let Sin Reign
11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God . 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. 15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
The Doctrine of Sin: What does being ‘dead to sin’ mean? That you never can and never will sin again?!… No. But that sin does not any longer automatically control your being; there has been a death to this controller (11). Because of this, you are not suppose to allow sin to take control again and reign in your life, as it did afore. Being ‘dead to sin’ allows it to be possible for the believer not to have sin reign in their mortal body anymore. This exhortation was made to Christians because they can still have sin control them, and even reign! Otherwise, why would Paul be exhorting the Rome believers to not let it reign, if it couldn’t?! With sin, there is a yielding that is done; you have control over this.
“It is no sin to be tempted; the sin lies in the yielding. While the sin exists only in Satan’s solicitation, it is the Devil’s sin, not ours. When we yield, we make the Devil’s sin our own.” (Adam Clarke’s Commentary)
You can either ‘yield’ to sin or yield to righteousness. When you sin, you are ‘yielding’ to sin; it is an act of the will; you have complete control over what you are doing; no-one sins by accident. A Christian can have sin have dominion over them (reign); though, they definitely have the power to avoid this; whereas the lost do not (14).
“Why should sin be our master when we have died to sin? Why must we be obedient to a master that has already been defeated by Christ? Christians who deliberately sin are people who have yielded themselves to the old nature instead of to the Holy Spirit. They are living beneath their exalted position in Christ. They are living like slaves when they could be reigning like kings.”
(Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament)
Again, because of all that has been said here, shall we sin? Apparently there were some then that thought it good to sin so that they can have more grace applied…(15)
16-23 Servants of Sin or Righteousness?
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? 17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. 18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. 19 I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh: for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness. 20 For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
The Doctrine of Servitude: Can a born again believer be a servant to the Devil? Well, does a believer ever yield themselves to the temptations and will of the Devil? Yes they do, every time they sin. Verse 19 exhorts believers not to yeild to sin; match that with verse 16 and it teaches that a believer can serve sin…the sin nature…ultimately, the Devil. Thus, technically, we serve Satan when we sin. But, in the more general and judicial sense, when we become believers, and are born again, we cease being categorized as servants of sin (and the Devil) but become servants of righteousness. Our classification heading changes. But, we still have the sin nature, and it can be served.
A lost person is unable to perform righteousness, they are totally free from it! Even when they do a ‘good deed’; there souls are unrighteous, and all there righteousnesses are as filthy rags (20)! Look back on all those ‘wonderful’ sinful years; what fruit came from that; what good came from it?! (21) Aren’t you ashamed of those wicked years? We are freed from the bondage of sin and are servants of the Living God; you now produce fruit; or do you? How much holiness have you produced in your life? (22)
“Oh, what pains people take to get to hell! Early and late they toil at sin; and would not divine justice be in their debt, if it did not pay them their due wages? The apostle does not say that the wages of righteousness is eternal life: no, but that this eternal life, even to the righteous, is the gracious gift of God. The word opsoonia, which we here render “wages”, signified the daily pay of a Roman soldier. So, every sinner has a daily pay, and this pay is death;”
(Adam Clarke’s Commentary)
Death means ‘separation’, not ‘non-existance’. The ‘Second Death’ is Hell and eternity in the Lake of Fire. One ‘earns’ from their sin (just takes one sin) both physical death (Adam was created to live forever in that body) and spiritual death (eternal separation in Hell from God).
“As the labourer is worthy of his hire, and feels it to be his due-his own of right-so is death the due of sin, the wages the sinner has well worked for-his own.”
“Ye that read or hear these words, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live!” (Deut 30:19.)”
(Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary)